Stand for bicycles



March 19, 1946. F. w. scHwlNN STAND FOR BICYCLES Filed April 1o, 1944 2 Sheets-.Sheet 1 F. W. SCHWINN March 19, 1946.

' STAND Fon BI'cYcLEs Filed April io, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [u ,6 wm/13 7 y J 6 7. v r 4 V w Patented Mar. 19, 194s A UNTED STATES PATENT @FFICE STANDV FOR BICYCLES Frank W. Schwinn, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 10, 1944, Serial No. 530,286

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to stands vfor bicycles, and is particularly concerned with stands of the type usually termed kick-stands, due to the fact that it may be moved into or out of its operative position by a kick of the user.

In the kick-stands of the prior art, with which I am familiar, the working parts are generally exposed to the elements `with resultant rapid wear. Due to this fact and the fact that they cannot be lubricated Without gathering dust and dirt, this accumulation of dust and dirt 'accelerates the Wear because the combination of the dust an dirt with the oil acts as an abrasive.

When such a device of the prior art has been lubricated, the dust and dirt on the lubricated the movement of the stand from one position to another, so that the rider may resort to drastic action, such as violent kicking in the use of the device, which also serves to shorten its useful life.

Another disadvantage of the devices of the prior art is that the cam in such devices will eventually work loose in the housing, and when this occurs the assembly will rattle.

One of the objectsrof the present invention is the provision of an improved kick-stand for bicycles that is so constructed that the wear on the cam in the housing will be automatically taken up and the cam will be held in tight, non-rattling engagement with its housing at all times by the spring of the device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved kick-stand for bicycles in which the mechanism is suitably enclosed so that it is protected from exposure to the'elements and s-o that it may be suitably lubricated without gathering dust an'd dirt on the exterior of the assembly.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a kick-stand which is adapted to be maintained in a well lubricated condition without having the lubricant leak out and cover the exterior of the housing so as to eliminate any possibility of dust and dirt getting into the mechanism, or of having the exterior parts of the mechanism covered with lubricant, which would gather dust or dirt.

Another object of the invention isV the provision of a device of the class described which is simple,

low cost, so that it may be placed within the means of a vast number of users. Y v

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved construction for kick-stands which can be manufactured for sale as a separate accessory, or which may be incorporated as a permanent part of the bicycle,

Another object of the invention is the pro-vision of an improved kick-stand which is adapted to be held iirmly in its operative position and which vmay be moved from either one or the other of its positions With a minimum amount of effort.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, of which there are two sheets,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on a Vertical plane passing through the lower part of the bicycle frame at right angles to the plane of the frame, showing a kick-stand attached to the frame embodying the present invention and supporting the bicycle in approximately vertical position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view,`with the kick-stand shown in full lines in its folded or inoperative position, and shown in dotted lines in its extended or operative position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the bicycle frame and kick-stand; with the crank shaft and bearings removed and the stand in the folded position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the plane of the line t-i of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional-view, taken on the plane of the line 5--5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cam and housing, similar to Fig. 4, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the plane of the line 'i-'l of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational View, showing the end of the kick-stand housing from the right of Fig.'6;

Fig. 9 is an end elevational View of the cam; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the same plane as Fig. 1, showing a modified mode of attachment of the kick-stand housing. to the bicycle frame. I

' Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, 3o indicates in its ensturdy, and capable of being manufactured at a tirety a bicycle frame, partv of which is shown to the shape of this section of a cylinder.

illustrate the application of the invention to a bicycle. The frame portion shown includes the crank shaft bearing hanger 3 I, which is integrally attached to the lower rear fork members 32, 33 and to the upwardly extending frame member 34, which usually ends in a saddle post, and to the forwardly extending frame member 35.

The kick-stand is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 3'6, and it preferably includes a housing member 31 andthe usual prop member or sprag 38, which is movably supported by the housing 431 for movement into the inoperative or folded position.

The inoperative or folded position is shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and the operative or extentied position is shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

The housing 31 comprises a tubular metal member, which is preferably substantially cylindrical and preferably constructed of steel, having a cylindrical wall portion 39 over the major portion of its length. At its right end in Fig. 4 this housing has a tapered portion 45, which is triangular in elevation, and preferably provided with sides of equal length.

The three sides of this triangular portion are indicated at 4I-43 (Fig. 8), and the cylindrical wall 39 tapers down toward the triangular end portion 40. Thus the sides lll-43 have a curved outline 44 at their inner ends, corresponding to The tapered end portion 40 of the housing is, of course, also similarly tapered on its inside, and it has a substantial fit with the` cam member 45, which is adapted to be held against rotation by reason of its similar non-circular shape.

In order that the cam member 45 may have adequate room for taking up wear in the housing portion 49, this housing portion is formed with a clearance at 46 on the inside, this clearance effectively extending the cylindrical chamber 41 of the housing so that as the external surface of the cam wears it may move axially of the housing 31 and be kept in constant tight engagement with the non-circular end portion 40. The cam body is constantly urged into its socket by the spring, but may be worn by rattling action of the vehicle or by the stress that is placed upon it as the pin moves from one slot to the other tending to rotate the cam body. Any

such exterior wear between the socket for the cam body and the exterior of the cam body may be taken up by further movement of the cam body into its socket.

The right end 48 of the housing is open, but it is closed by the end wall 49 of the cam 45. The cam 45 comprises a metal member preferably made of steel, having a cylindrical wall portion D and a tapered wall portion 5|, whichis triangular in cross section. This makes the end Wall 49 of reduced size, and the triangular end portion 5l of the cam 45 is preferably substantially complementary to the inside of the housing 31.

The exterior of the cam is thus provided with partially cylindrical corner` formations 52, and the inside of the corners of the housing portion 4B is also complementarily curved at 53.

The cam member 45 is preferably hollow, having an inner cylindrical bore 54 for receiving the end portion of the stand trunnion 55. The edges of the end of this cam are shown in Fig. 9, and

this edge portion is formed with two sets of Vdi-v ametrically extending grooves.

The grooves 56, 51 are for the reception of the pin 58 when the sprag is in the foldedor. inoperative position, while the grooves 59, 6D receive this pin 58 when the sprag is in the operative position, as shown in Fig. 1.

The grooves 56, 51, 58, Gil are partially cylindrical in shape, and preferably slightly more shallow than half a cylinder.

Thus, when the sprag is rotated, the pin 58 is adapted to ride up out of the groove in which it happens to be, and over the nat surfaces 6l until the pin drops inthe opposite groove.

The segmental portions 62 of the cam may extend axially farther than the portions 6|, since the pin is not intended to ride up over the surfaces 62; but in some embodiments of the invention these surfaces may be located in the same plane.

The sprag 38 preferably includes the trunnion portion 55, the prop portion 63, and a foot portion 64. The length of the prop portion 63 is preferably such that when the bicycle is supported on the sprag its frame extends upward at a slight angle so that the weight of the frame and other parts rest upon the kick-stand.

This involves making the prop portion 63 shorter than the distance from its housing to the ground by an amount which is indicated by the dotted line position shown lin Fig. 1, where the frame is in vertical position, and the sprag does not touch the ground.

The foot portion 64 merely comprises a laterally bent end portion of the sprag for engaging the ground and locating the point of engagement farther from the center of gravity of the bicycle in the lateral direction.

The sprag is` preferably made of a cylindrical rod of metal` such as steel; and the angular bends at 65 and B6 in this rod are preferably less than the right angle, as shown, so that the strut portion 63 is also used to extend the sprag laterally so that its foot will be in engagement with the ground at a point to the left of the center of gravity of the frame in Fig. l.

Adjacent its right end the trunnion portion 55y of the sprag is provided with a bore 61 fol` receiving the pin 58. The pin 58 is a cylindrical steel pin, which may have a sliding fit in the bore 61, or it may have a tight frictional flt.

The pin 58 is preferably engaged by a Washer 68, which is rectangular in cross section and ts between the inside of the housing 31 and the trun- -nion portion 55. The washer 68 is engaged by a compression spring 69 of helical form, which is preferably thick enough to fill the space between the trunnion portion 55 and the cylindrical wall 39 of the housing 31.

Thus the spring serves to provide additional bearing for` the trunnion portion 55 when supported by the housing 31. In order to provide a bearing for the trunnion 55, the housing 31 has at its left end a bearing 10.

This comprises an annular metal member, the outer cylindrical wall 1! of which ts in the housing 31, and the inner bore 12 of which has a rotating nt with the trunnion 55. A bore 13 may be drilled through the housing wall 38 and the bearing 10, and may be provided with a cotterpin 14 for holding the bearing 19 in fixed position.

The spring 59 reacts against the inner end of the bearing 10 and urges the sprag toward the right in its housing 31.

The housing 31 in the case of a permanent installation is preferably welded as at 15 tothe lower rear fork members 32, 33 in such position that it extends rearwardly toward the left side ofthe frame. This permits the sprag 38-to fold up under therear fork member 33, when it is in its inoperative position.

In another embodiment of the invention the` housing 3l may be provided with a sheet metal y bracket l, having a pair of partially cylindrical '82, and has its web 'i9 provided with a nut 83 registering with the aperture 86. The upper bracket has another aperture 85, and the threaded member 8i comprises a bolt which passes through the aperture 85 and is threaded into the nut S3.

The bolt 8l preferably has an elongated head 86 so that a wrench may engage its head because the head projects from the bracket 853.

The annular shoulder 81 on the head 8b clamps the two brackets 80, 16 together and secures the housing to the two rear fork members.

The operation of the present kick-stand is as follows: The spring 59 constantly urges the pin 58 toward the right in Fig. 4 into engagement with the cam 45, and when the pin 58 is in one of the pairs of grooves 59, 60 or 56, 5'! the spring will hold the sprag in that position.

The weight which is placed upon the sprag by the frame tends to drive the pin into engagement with its grooves still more tightly; and thus there is no tendency of the sprag to be rotated out of its operative position by the weight of the vehicle.

When the sprag is turned from its operative position to the inoperative position, or vice Versa, the pin 58 cams against the side of the groove in which it happens to be, and the pin rides up on the flat surfaces 6|, permitting the sprag to rotate until the pin drops into the other groove. There it is held by the spring 69 until the operator again moves the sprag to another position.

The present housing may be filled with thick grease, which keeps the mechanism lubricated at all times and excludes dust and dirt. As the housing is closed at both ends, the grease is kept in the housing, and the dust and dirt are kept outside.

'I'he cam and the spring provide additional bearing surface for the trunnion of the sprag, and as the cam becomes worn in any Way it is driven still further into its complementary noncircular tapered socket to take up this wear. Thus rattling is prevented, and the present device may be used for a long period of time Without experiencing the objectionable rattling or wear or deterioration found in the devices of the prior art.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a bicycle kick stand, the combination of a tubular metal body formed of substantially cylindrical shape forming abearing, the end of said body deformed to provide an outwardlytapered, non-circular formation on its inside, a prop member comprising a cylindrical rod having its lower end outwardly bent in one direction at an obtuse angle to form a foot and having its upper end bent in the opposite direction at an obtuse angie to form a trunnion, the said trunnion being rotatably mounted in saidl tubular member, a bearing at the cylindrical end of said tubular member xedly secured to said tubular member for rotatably supporting said trunnion, and a helical spring member, the coils of which are of suiiicient thickness to bridge the space between the trunnion and the interior cf said tubular member to give the trunnion additional bearing support, the said spring engaging a thrust washer, and said thrust washer engaging a transverse pin carried by said trunnion adjacent its end, a cam member of tapering, noncircular shape complementary to the interior surfacel of the tapered end of said tubular member, said cam member having at its inner end depressions in two positions for receiving the pin and holding the prop in its bicyclesupporting and in its folded position.

2. In a bicycle kick stand, the combination of a tubular metal body formed of substantially cylindrical shape forming a bearing, the end of said body being deformed to provide an outwardly tapered, non-circular formation on its inside, a prop membel` comprising a cylindrical rod having its lower end outwardly bent in one direction atan obtusel angle to form a foot and having its upper end bent in the opposite direction at an obtuse angle to form a trunnion, the said trunnion being rotatably mounted in said tubular member, a bearing at the cylindrical end of said tubular member rlxedly secured to said tubular member for rotatably supporting said trunnion, and a helical spring member, the coils of which are of sufficient thickness to bridge the space between the trunnion and the interior of said tubular member to give the trunnion additional bearing support, the said spring engaging a thrust washer, and said thrust Washer engaging a transverse pin carried by said trunnion adjacent its end, a cam member of tapering, noncircular shape complementary to the interior surface of the tapered end of said tubular member, i

said cam member having at its inner end depressions in two positions for receiving the p1n and holding the prop in its bicycle supporting and in its folded position, the said cam also comprising a hollow member of substantially triangular shape at its closed outer end and having a cylindrical shape at its inner end receiving the end of said trunnion for additional bearing support.

FRANK W. SCHWINN. 

